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Green Rhino Day Student Certification

For Students

Green Rhino Dorm Room Certification Green Rhino Office Certification

In order to earn a Green Rhino Certification, you must be able to commit to a minimum number of credits. Check off the habits and practices that you (and your family) have or that you will commit to while working on campus. There is one required commitment and a minimum numbers of items you must check per category, so pay attention.

Before you complete this pledge, please make sure that you have attended a Green Rhino Certification training session.

After completing this application, your dorm room will be audited by a member of TEAM/EcoMon. You will only have to attend the training session once, but will be required to reapply/reaudit every year.

Note: This program and some language was adapted from the Green Dorm Room Certification at the University of South Carolina with permission.

Scoring: Total of 42 pts

To achieve Level 1: Light Green = 15 total points
To achieve Level 2: True Green = 20 total points
To achieve Level 3: Evergreen = 30 total points

Fields marked * are required.

My Information
  3. *I have attended a 45-minute green room training with Ms. Borken and/or EcoMons
Waste and Recycling (Minimum 5 Points)

We…

  1. * Conducted a waste audit of our personal home trash and recycling to see what items we are throwing away the most, and have taken steps to reduce our waste
  2. Have at least one designated recycling bin and recycle paper, bottles, cans, cardboard, and batteries in our home
  3. Reuse paper that has text on only one side. We keep a scrap paper pile near our printer and/or copier.
  4. Refuse store bags and use reusable bags when shopping , going to town for supplies, etc…
  5. Have reusable mugs, dishware, and silverware for use in our room/dorm kitchen
  6. Refuse paper bags when we go to the school bookstore
  7. Do not purchase bottled water
  8. Submit the majority of assignments paperlessly, through Haiku, Google Drive, email, or another management system
  9. Do not print out the majority of elective papers, such as notes posted online by faculty, PowerPoint slides, or papers that may be submitted digitally.
  10. Order take-out food no more than once a week
  11. Recycle all plastic bags and hangers from dry cleaning
  12. Keep electronic devises for more than 2 years (expanding the "2, then renew" idea)
  13. Always recycle batteries in one of the collection sites
Energy and Water Conservation (Minimum 3 Points)

We…

  1. *Make a conscious effort to turn off all lights when leaving rooms on campus and/or our home. This includes common areas such as restrooms, common rooms, and kitchens, as well as my own bedroom and living spaces. 
  2. Use CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs) or LEDs in desk lamps
  3. Consider using less/dimmer light while studying or relaxing
  4. Use natural light when possible
  5. Make an effort to tightly turn off faucets and showers and report any leaks to Work Orders
  6. Try to minimize our water use (examples: shower for 10 minutes or less, don't leave the sink running, etc…) at home and while using water on campus
  7. ALWAYS take the stairs instead of the elevator
  8. Carry a reusable water bottle and refill it regularly
  9. Shut off computers and/or manually send computers into energy-saving mode (standby or hibernate) when not in use
  10. Use power strips and switch them off at night and/or unplug all appliances/chargers when not in use
  11. Have invested in a Smart Power Strip to help manage vampire energy use
Transportation and Climate (Minimum 2 Points)

We…

  1. *Have taken a carbon footprint quiz like this one or this one
  2. Walk or bike to locations less than 1 mile from campus
  3. Never ask/accept rides to the gym or other locations on campus
  4. Offset emissions from air travel by purchasing carbon offsets
  5. Carpool to school
Campus Engagement (Minimum 3 Points)

We…

  1. *Have encouraged at least one other building resident/friend to complete the Green Rhino Room Certification Program
  2. Know our dorm's EcoMon and where they live if they have any questions.
  3. Know the location of our dorm's recycling bins
  4. Know the location of campus recycling bins in spaces we use beyond our own dorm's recycling bins (ex: gym bins, library bins).
  5. Will donate unwanted items (clothes, food, appliances) to the Black Box program at the end of the year instead of throwing them away
  6. Will model sustainable choices when eating in the dining hall by:
    1. Producing zero food waste
    2. Not using disposable dinnerware (ie: paper coffee cups, etc)
    3. Not removing dinnerware from the dining hall
    4. Eat meat never or only on occasion
  7. Will participate in No Impact Week (April)